In recent years, digital cameras have prevailed in the marketplace, and many users increasingly have an opportunity to use digital cameras. For this reason, the users' needs for digital cameras are varied. As one of such needs, good color reproducibility is known. Each vendor aims, as a goal of the color reproducibility characteristics, at average color reproduction, that most users like the set color reproducibility characteristics of the camera. However, since different users have different taste, it is impossible to realize color reproducibility which meets the needs of all users.
To solve this problem, a digital camera which allows the user to customize parameters such as hue, chroma saturation, brightness, and the like to realize color reproducibility of user's choice upon imaging is available. However, since it is difficult to present the relationship between changes in these parameters and those in colors to the user, optimal camera settings require a user's skill.
As proposals associated with a method of allowing the user to adjust colors in a way that is easy to understand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2004-129226 and 07-320024 are known. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-129226 describes a configuration that executes color conversion processing for converting a designated source color into a designated destination color by designating a desired source color in an image during retouch processing of an image, and designating a desired color as a conversion destination color. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-320024 describes a configuration which designates an arbitrary extraction color (source color) by moving a cursor on a displayed image using a joystick. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-299115 describes a configuration that captures a flesh color as a source color to be changed using an imaging apparatus, and calculates color conversion coefficients on the basis of the captured flesh color and a flesh color reproduction destination value stored in a ROM.
However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-129226 pertains to the retouch processing of an image, but it does not set color conversion processing upon imaging in the imaging apparatus. Also, this method is not suitable for color conversion processing on a limited user interface like that of the imaging apparatus, since that method requires the designation of the source color and destination color using the cursor. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-320024, a desired color is designated by moving a cursor on an image. However, this method requires an operation unit for cursor movement, and is not suitable for a digital camera or the like which requires portability. Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-299115, the user selects a desired destination color from several types of destination colors pre-stored in the ROM. That is, the destination colors are limited to several types, and free color conversion cannot be realized. Also, since each destination color is not presented to the user as an image, it is difficult for the user to recognize the conversion destination color.